Remote work has proven to be more than just a trend over the last few years. With 70% of employees all around the world working from home at least one day per week and 53% reportedly working at least half of the week remotely, the concept appears to be here for the long-term.
In a world where remote work is the future, it’s important to manage your remote team successfully. Here are 5 things to consider when managing remote employees to set your organization up for success.
1. Set Expectations
If your company offers remote positions, make sure that your expectations are outlined and clear to employees from the beginning. A Telecommuting Agreement can be the perfect way to outline and define parameters of what to expect and what is or isn’t acceptable.
Make sure that your Telecommuting Agreement includes the following:
- At-will employment
- Right to term arrangement
- Privilege/ not a right
- Acceptable telecommuting locations
- Defined home workspace
- Acceptable methods of communication
- Reimbursable expenses
Please keep in mind that before finalizing your agreement, you may want to consult labor counsel for further review.
By setting clear expectations in the beginning, it’ll make having a successful employer-to-employee relationship much easier.
2. Provide the Right Tools
It is the responsibility of the employer to make sure that their team has the tools they need to succeed in their role. When working remotely, employees’ productivity can depend greatly on reliable, good quality equipment. Investing in the tools that your team needs to do their jobs, whether that be a laptop, telephone, or even an external hard drive, can make a big difference in the quality of work an employee is delivering.
3. Engagement and Communication
Communication can be one of the toughest aspects of managing remote teams. How we manage and work with employees is the key to running a successful remote team.
Other than the lack of face-to-face interaction, you may be dealing with time differences and schedule conflicts in your remote workforce. Dedicate specific hours, days, and channels for different types of communication. When the expectations are clear, you can alleviate the pain of waiting around for responses and answers and keep productivity moving.
4. Project Management Applications
Applications like Asana for project management are a must-use for companies with remote workers. In our office, the phrase “if it’s not in Asana, it doesn’t exist” has become basic truth. Remote employees are not undercover employees. Give everyone the ability to see what everyone is working on so that each team member can delegate their tasks and questions. This type of transparency adds a level of accountability and connectedness that is critical to finding success with a remote workforce.
5. Stay Goal-Oriented
This is a tough one for organizations and managers who have never managed a remote employee before. It is near impossible to micromanage remote teams effectively. The best way to deal with this is to not worry as much about what is being done. Instead, concentrate on what is being accomplished - the progress toward your higher-level goals. Bringing on remote employees involves a high level of trust regardless of the position. Trust your remote members to do what they need to do in order to achieve the common goal. Revisit goals as much as necessary to ensure the vision is clear and schedule periodic updates to keep everyone on the same page.
Leave a Comment